Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Bulk is the only way to go if it keeps on the shelf.

i hope so. If it goes bad, I'lll just slip it inot the dog bowl since i can't keep him away from it as it is.

a dogfish

Bobby Two-Tone and Spot have been moved back outside. Bobby Two-Tone was at the top in the corner, barely alive and head up, red spots on him here and there. Spot was trying to hide against the rocks and also had some red parts to him. This sounds like septicemia from what I read a minute ago. Apparently it makes them lethargic and takes a long time to kill them (weeks). I looked at the big one that died the other day (the one in the picture) and it looked fine. I even looked at its gills which looked fine. If it happens again I will cut one open (to look at the liver like AD mentioned). These two might have had a problem with being moved when weak.

Do you know what causes septicemia? Man you're having some bad luck. Hope it all improves

Just looked it up dave, seems nasty.

I am looking for signs of this on the ones outside, but nothing seems too obvious. The two big ones looked really healthy.

Wife picked up an ammonia test kit for me this morning:

pH: 7.6 or more (test kit maxed out)
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: ?

I could use a nitrate kit, but I have been changing the water probably 200% in the last two weeks.

We got some rain yesterday (pH 6 or below, kit min-ed out), and I exchanged about 15 gallons with that.

Should I use this gravel on my new system for the basement, or start over with clean gravel? I can use the living room filter gunk as these ones seem healthy.

For the ones outside, I could remove all the fish to a container and dose them for awhile, clean the tub then put them back.

Here is a good site for goldfish disease info:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebInde ... isease.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebInde ... isfaq8.htm

Dave, you may have mentioned earlier, but could you tell me what the hardness or softness is of the water you are using to change out the system water? Are you using tap water or distilled or rain or? Also, frequency of water changes and percentage of sytem water replacement when changed.

1) Frequency of water change
2) Percentage of water change
3) Buffering capacity of water Kh, or Gh

Rain water has no buffering capacity, also may be contaminated if draining over asphalt shingles or galvanized steel gutters.

He wigs out when I have a tilapia in the tray (couple of inches of water) and it flops around. When I get all the fry I need from the females I'll let him have one..... he's been faithful

Hey MF:
Asphalt shingles and I think aluminum gutters (if they are made out of the same thing as the downspouts as they are very light and pliable). What contamination would you get?

I have absolutely no idea of our water hardness. I suspect it is soft because my coffee pot is not accumulating any hard deposits and I only rinse it out most times.

I use rain water until the 18 gallon tub is empty, otherwise I have had to use tap water. Haven't used much rain water really, mostly tap water. I added the oyster shells when the pH was around 6.5, but it is not like they cover the bottom, just a couple handfuls of it. I think it is high because I have been using tap water. I guess I have to go buy a GH/KH kit now too?!?

Rainwater from roof info:

http://experts.about.com/q/Occupational ... purity.htm



And:
http://www.seattle.gov/util/stellent/gr ... 20water%22

When NOT to use a rain barrel for watering
If you have certain kinds of roofing material you shouldn’t use rain barrels for watering plants. If
your roof is made of wood shingles or shakes that have been treated with any chemical (usually
chromated copper arsenate—CCA) to make them resistant to rot and moss, lichen and algae growth,
don’t water your plants from a rain barrel. Water collected from copper roofs or copper gutters also
should not be used. Zinc (galvanized metal) anti-moss strips—usually mounted at the roof peak—
also produce toxic chemicals you don’t want in your garden. Don’t use rain barrels if you have these
strips (you may want to remove them), or if you have had your roof treated with moss-, lichen-
or algae-killing chemicals within the last several years. Note that nowadays there are asphalt
shingles on the market which have zinc particles imbedded in the surface. Check your shingle
specifications if you have recently re-roofed.
In addition, general practice is to avoid watering vegetables and other edible plants, such as herbs
you plan to use in cooking, with rain barrel water collected from asphalt-shingle roofs. These kinds
of roofs may leach various complex hydrocarbon compounds, so most people avoid using water
from asphalt-shingle roofs or flat tar roofs on plants meant for human consumption. To date there
is no definitive research on the amounts and types of hydrocarbon compounds which may leach
from such roofs, though it is common practice to use water collected from asphalt-shingle roofs for
watering ornamental plants and shrubs. Enameled steel and glazed tile roofs generate little or no
contamination and rainwater harvested from them is commonly used to water vegetables.

Dave, you can get a cheap pond test kit that has Ammonia/NO3/Kh and Gh tests for less than $25 at local fish shop.

I owned a raingutter biz for five years (until my main guy fell of the edge of a 2-story and broke his neck) - and worked extensively with aluminum. Aluminum gutters are superior to any other metal because they "oxidize - react to air/water" and develop a white chalky protective coat. This oxide is basic and keeps the aluminum stable from acidic air and water attack. Steel gutters react poorly and lose conduction in this case, which is why they rust.

If your gutters are painted on the inside, that's a whole 'nother issue.

I suspect by way of frequent water changes you are either killing your nitrifying bacteria, or shifting the Ph up and down too much for the fish. Once the system is established water changes should be no more than 10%...ever. In an emergency, you can add tap water for buffer effect but it sounds like it all started with a low Ph which you adjusted with Oyster shells, which may have altered Ph too fast? Next system should be all tap water since rain water no buffering ability - Unless one is an expert at keeping all the parameters in check.

There's no telling what leaches from asphalt shingles... maybe whaen Bobby Two Spots turns into Bobby Two Heads you will know it was the roof shingles....

pH of tap water is 7 (today anyway, it has been higher in the past, I guess it fluctuates) I am going to take your advice and use tap water. Could AmQuel bump it upward?

I am really bummed about my roof, this is a picture of the windy side. I could get hundreds of gallons out of these gutters (also cut down the tree (it was split) which gives us even more S exposure):